12-28-16 Noise Disturbance Comes from Above the Surface Too

Wednesday, December 28th

J Pod showed up in San Juan Channel and spent a good portion of the afternoon spread out throughout the top end of the channel...then they began to get back together and had picked a direction...
...I was watching from shore...the whales were far away...some had gone behind Spieden Island out of my view, and at least one was in Spieden Channel and had moved far enough west that he was to the west of the boat house (not sure that is the correct term - but it's toward the eastern end on the south side) on Spieden Island.

...The Center for Whale Research was out as were a few whale watching boats...
...then came this...

...later someone said it was a navy plane and commented on the noise level...maybe once upon a time it was a navy plane, but I wonder about now.

It buzzed the whales.

Maybe whoever was in the plane didn't know orcas were there and wanted to see what those whale watching boats were looking at.

It appeared to be flying quite low, lower than what one normally sees, and way lower than what is permitted when whales are present.

...just the day before there was a candlelight vigil to honor the Southern Residents and for the struggles they have had and continue to experience.
...some folks wrote messages on rocks...I saw this and thought 'how fitting'...

...it isn't just the noise from under the surface.